Bowling ball pitch gage



Sept. 21, 1965 J. G. BERNARD BOWLING BALL PITCH GAGE Filed Jan. 4, 1963 IN VENTOR.

JAMES G. BERNARD ATTO RN E'YS United States Patent 3,296,858 BOWLING BALL PITCH GAGE James G. Bernard, 10602 9th Ave. NW., Seattle, Wash. Filed Jan. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 249,494 3 Claims. (Cl. 33--174) This invention relates to a device for measuring the pitch of a bore hole and more particularly to a device for indicating the pitch of a conical-bottomed bore hole in a spherical body, such as a bowling ball.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved indicator for measuring the pitch of a conical-bottomed bore in a bowling ball or similar spherical body, said indicator being relatively simple in construction, being easy to use, and providing an accurate indication of the direction of inclination of a bore hole relative to a radial line located substantially at the same position as the bore hole.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved pitch indicator for a bowling ball finger hole, the indicator being inexpensive to fabricate, being durable in construction, and being arranged so that it makes direct contact with the center portion of the conical bottom of a bore in a bowling ball and provides an accurate angular indication of the direction of the axis of the bore relative to a radial line drawn from the center of the bowling ball or other spherical body containing the hole.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the various parts of an improved bore hole pitch indicator constructed in accordance with the present invention, the parts being shown in separated positions.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view, partly in vertical cross section, showing a pitch indicator according to the present invention in operative position on a bowling ball and illustrating the manner in which the conical feeler member engages in the conical bottom of the bore hole.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross sectional View taken substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawings, the improved bore hole pitch indicator is designated generally at 11 and comprises a plate-like gage member 12 comprising the vertical stern portion 13 and the downwardly diverging wing members 14, 14, the wing members being separated by a central bottom notch 15. The wing members 14, 14 have arctiately rounded bottom edges 16, 16 shaped to engage closely on the spherical surface of a bowling ball 17 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2, whereby to support the gage member 12 in an upstanding outwardly extending position with the notch located over a finger hole 18 in the ball in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2.

The top edge of the notch 15 comprises the depending, substantially semi-circular lug 19 formed with the central pivot hole 20. Designated at 21 is an elongated pointer rod or arm formed at its intermediate portion with a longitudinal slot 22. The arm 21 is slidably and pivotally connected to the stem portion 13 of the gage member 12 by a pivot bolt 23 which extends through the aperture and through the elongated slot 22, the pivot bolt being provided with the knurled head 24 at one side of the gage body and being provided with the knurled nut 25 at the other side of said gage body, the nut 25 being employed to clamp the indicator rod 21 after it has been angled to a position corresponding to the pitch direction of a bore hole 18, as will be presently described.

The stem portion 13 of the gage member 12 is provided with a scale comprising the zero or center line 26 and the 3,26,85h Patented Sept. 21, lfi5 'ice successive angle indicating lines 27 spaced symmetrically on opposite sides of the center line 26 at predetermined angles thereto, for example, at angles of 1 degree apart. The center line 26 represents the line of symmetry between the arcuate contacting edges 16, 16, being radial relative to the circle on which said arcuate contact edges 16, 16 are located.

The top end of the pointer rod 21 is formed with the tapered indicating point 28. The bottom end of rod 21 is provided with the enlarged head portion 29' having the downwardly tapering, ubstantially conical bottom portion 30.

Slidably mounted on the rod 21 below the pivot 23 is the downwardly tapering, substantially frusto conical positioning collar 31 adapted to engage in the top rim of a standard finger hole 13 in the manner illustrated in FIG- URE 2, the collar 31 being substantially larger at its top end 32 than the standard finger hole 18 and being substantially smaller at its bottom end 33 than said finger hole. The collar member 31 is formed with an axial bore 34 which is large enough in diameter to allow the rod 21 to slide freely therein but is not large enough to allow the axis of the rod to deviate substantially from the direction of the axis of the collar member.

The collar member 31 is formed at one side thereof with a recess or notch 35 adapted to receive the lug 19 when the collar member is elevated, for example to the dotted position thereof shown in FIGURE 2.

In using the device, the gage member 12 is positioned on the bowling ball in the manner shown in FIGURE 2 with the arcuate edges 16, 1d engaging the surface of the ball, the nut 25 being loosened and the head 29 of the rod 21 being engaged in the finger hole 18 with the conical portion 30 of the head seated in the conical bottom end 37 of the hole. The collar member 31 i engaged in the top rim of the hole 18 and the gage body 12 is rotated until the indicating point 28 registers the maximum angular deviation from the center line 26. In this position the plane of the gage body 12 contains the axis of the bore hole 18, and the indication given by the pointer 28 represents the pitch angle of the bore hole. This reading may be maintained for further reference by tightening the knurled nut 25.

As will be readily understood, the bore hole 13 may have side pitch as well as front to rear pitch, namely, may be skewed with respect to a radius of the ball. This side pitch can be measured by rotating the body 12, with the nut 25 loosened and with the edges 16 in continuous contact with the ball surface to a position from the previous position, with the conical element 30 seated in the conical bottom portion 3'7 of the hole and the collar 31 engaged in the top rim of the hole, so that the rod 21 is held in a substantially constant position.

The two readings provided by the gage rod 21 on the scale of the gage body 12 will provide the values of the forward or reverse pitch of the bore as well as the side pitch thereof.

While a specific embodiment of an improved pitch indi' cator for indicating the pitch of a conical-bottomed bore in a spherical body has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pitch indicator for indicating the pitch of a conical-bottomed bore in a spherical body comprising a platelike gage member having a gage scale thereon and at least two spaced contacting edge elements for engaging the spherical surface of the body, a pointer arm slidably and pivotally connected to the gage member and extending adjacent said scale, a downwardly tapering position ing collar member slidably mounted on the lower portion of the pointer arm and being engageable in the top rim of the bore, and a downwardly tapering feeler member on the bottom end of the pointer arm engageable in the conical bottom of the bore.

2. A pitch indicator for indicating the pitch of a conical-bottomed bore in a spherical body comprising a platelike gage member having a gage scale thereon and at least two spaced contacting edge elements for engaging the spherical surface of the body, a pointer arm slidably and pivotally connected to the gage member between said contacting edge elements, the top end of said pointer arm extending adjacent said scale, a downwardly tapering substantially frusto-conical positioning collar member slidably mounted on the lower portion of the pointer arm and being engageable in the top rim of the bore, and a downwardly tapering feeler member on the bottom end of the pointer arm engageable in the conical bottom of the bore.

3. A pitch indicator for indicating the pitch of a conical-bottomed bore in a spherical body comprising a platelike gage member having a gage scale thereon and at least two spaced contacting edge elements for engaging the spherical surface of the body, a pointer arm formed with a longitudinal slot at its intermediate portion, bolt means on the gage member between said contacting edge elements below said scale extending through said slot and slidably and pivotally connecting the pointer arm to the gage member, the top end of the arm extending adjacent said scale, a downwardly tapering substantially frustoconical positioning collar member slidably mounted on the lower portion of the pointer arm and being engageable in the top rim of the bore, and a downwardly tapering substantially conical feeler head on the bottom end of the pointer arm engageable in the conical bottom of the bore.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/49 Dolaser 33191 8/55 Watson 33174 

1. A PITCH INDICATOR FOR INDICATING THE PITCH OF A CONICAL-BOTTOMED BORE IN A SPHERICAL BODY COMPRISING A PLATELIKE GAGE MEMBER HAVING A GAGE SCALE THEREON AND AT LEAST TWO SPACED CONTACTING EDGE ELEMENTS FOR ENGAGING THE SPHERICAL SURFACE OF THE BODYM A POINTER ARM SLIDABLY AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE GAGE MEMBER AND EXTENDING ADJACENT SAID SCALE, A DOWNWARDLY TAPERING POSITION ING COLLAR MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON THE LOWER PORTION OF THE POINTER ARM AND BEING ENGAGEABLE IN THE TOP RIM OF THE BORE, AND A DOWNWARDLY TAPERING FEELER MEMBER ON 